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My Goal As A Blogger

Trisha over at Momdot is hosting another Blog Hop. This week, she asked “What are your goals as a blogger?” and “How did you get started?”

The second question is easiest to answer, so I will tell you that first. My son, who is in the Air Force, was stationed in England, and met his wife, Sarah, over there. I wanted her to get to know me and the rest of the family before she came to the United States to live. A sort of WELCOME to her. In the beginning, I just wrote as if I was writing to my family.

Over time, things changed. My husband and I worked at campgrounds and resorts, so I wrote about where we were, posting pictures of places we went, and telling about our sightseeing trips. I found out I had to eat gluten free, so I started writing about recipes and products I had tried. I love to sew, so my sewing projects soon became topics of blog posts. And THEN! One day I got an email from someone asking me if I would like to try their gluten free product and write a review. Who, ME? I was flattered by that, so I said yes, and soon I was writing reviews too.

And THEN! I got an email offering to pay me to write articles on another website. OMG! ME? Me, who had failed ninth grade English 4 times was being asked to write for money! Of course I said yes. Who wouldn’t. I did that for a couple of different websites for about a year or so. And THEN! I was getting offers to write for pay on my very own blog! All this made me feel so good! I could call myself a writer because I was getting PAID to write.

So, what are my goals for the future of my blog?

More money from writing and advertising:

I want to be able to make money from writing this blog.It’s not so much that I want to flood my blog with advertising, nor do I think that the advertising is a turn off for my readers, it’s just a reality that my social security, which I may or may not be able to draw in just a few years, is not going to be enough to meet my needs financially. So, if I could make $1500 to $2000 a month consistently, that would be wonderful. I’m not to that point yet, but I know that it is not such an unreachable goal.

More reviews of products of interest to mature women:

I would still like to continue to write reviews of products that are of interest to women of “a certain age”. It is no secret that I am a grandmother who turned 60 years old this year. I love to write reviews, and if it is a really nice product, I like to include a giveaway as well. While we as grandmothers are still interested in the cute baby products, we have other interests and needs that are different from when we were young moms. Send me some cute handbags, some flat shoes, some steamed crabs or some steaks from a gourmet company. Send me some products for mature women. I’d rather try out a moisturizer than a perfume. A pretty serving platter than a baby stroller. Or a set of wine glasses than a set of baby bottles.

Reviews of home remodeling and decorating products:

I would also like to review items for remodeling and decorating my house, so I can turn it into a home. We bought it in December 2011, but we haven’t actually lived in it yet. We have no furniture, no refrigerator, no stove, no curtains, no anything for it yet, so I am wide open to pitches for those kinds of things.

I want to be invited on trips, and to attend some blog conferences:

I see some of my favorite bloggers going on trips to learn about cool products and places. I would like to be invited to some events and trips too. I think it would be fun to meet other bloggers, and to be able to bring my experiences back to my blog. I have registered for my first blog conference, Food Blog South, and am so excited to be going. I hope to learn more about writing about and photographing food there, as well as meeting some other bloggers in person. The social aspect of blogging is really important to me, and this is my first time stepping out from behind the computer to meet up with some fabulous people.

Increase my audience:

I would really like to be able to increase the number of readers I have. I may or may not be an interesting person, but I do try to make what I write be as interesting as possible. I try to include a few sewing tutorials, some recipes, some solutions to problems that I have run into along the way. I share my life, my dreams, the ups, the downs.

And lord knows I have written about subjects that seem to be TMI, but if I am having a problem that I can find nothing about when googling, then there are others out there who have the same problems who need information. I believe that we as women need to share our stories so that when we have a problem with itching, we can see that we are not alone.

I would like to have more followers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr. So, if you have been reading my blog for a while, and haven’t followed me on any of these places, please do, and leave me a comment to let me know.

Finally, I would like for my audience to comment more on the things I write. Tell me I’m crazy, tell me you love me, tell me your thoughts. What would you like to see more of here? What products would you like to see reviews and giveaways for? Do you have any sewing questions you’d like answered? Any tutorials you’d like to see? Yes, it’s my blog to write whatever I want to write, but I’d really like to know what you, my readers, would like to see more of here.

So, there it is, my ambitious new plan for Fabgrandma.com. What do you think?

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Dandelion Handcrafted Rattles Giveaway Baby Gift Guide

Karen · Leave a Comment

I’m participating in the Best Baby Shower Gifts event to help out my friend, Henrietta, who is going to be a grandmother for the first time soon! She is so excited to welcome her new granddaughter to the world, and I am excited to see what all is new for babies since I had mine almost 41 years ago.

Some of the most fun things to see are new toys for baby. These little handmade rattles are so so cute! Dandelion For Baby is giving away this cute set of rattles that is valued at $29.99.

Easy to grasp rattles to entertain young adventurers! Discover bold colors and shaker sounds, but the fun has just begun. The perfect grow-with-me toys as your child grows, so does the imaginative world of pre-tend play! Adorable and machine washable!

Handmade

Perfect Grow-with-Me Toy

Crocheted using silky bamboo threads

Stuffed with fluffy fibers made from corn

Machine washable

5 1/2″ inches tall

The giveaway for the Dandelion Handmade Rattles is open to residents of the United States only, and starts today, and ends September 24, 2102 at midnight. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Henrietta from A Hen’s Nest for organizing this fun giveaway!

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Just Jen: Custom Rhinestone T-Shirts

Karen · 9 Comments

If you have read my blog for very long, or if you know me in person, then you have got to know that I LOVE rhinestones. The more bling and flash, the better. So, when I was asked if I wanted to review a custom rhinestone t-shirt from Just Jen, you better believe I was more than happy to do so.

OMG, when I received my shirt in the mail, I was in love! Just look:

just jen custom rhinestone t-shirt — My Just Jen T-shirt

I have had this shirt for a while now, and worn it several times. It has been washed three times, and has not faded or shrunk, nor have any of the rhinestones fallen off. This is one of the softest t-shirts I have ever owned. The shirt I ordered runs true to size, too.

Today when I was wearing it, we went to town. On the way back home, we stopped at Jacob Lake Inn to get ice cream. When I walked up to the counter, the young man, who looked about 20 or so years old, looked at me and said “Cool T-shirt!”. When he said that, the woman in front of me , who was about my age, turned around, and said “OOOO! I LOVE that shirt!”. I told her I got it atJustJen.com, and that she could get a custom one, and she said, “I want one like that!”

Just Jen has more than just t-shirts, though. You can get custom hoodies, sweatpants, lingerie, aprons, and caps, and onesies for infants. Sizes run from infants thru children’s size 10, and adults up to size 3X. Color choices are numerous for both the apparel and the rhinestones. I chose a black shirt with crystal (clear) rhinestones. I am thinking about getting another one, but I can’t decide on colors! With 11 shirt styles and 13 type styles, you would have a hard time too! Thanks, JustJen, for this fabulous shirt!

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Top Reasons to Order a Backup Camera

Karen · 3 Comments

The government’s at it again, but this time it might be ok! By 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stipulates that all vehicles sold in the U.S. must be equipped with a backup camera system. That might not be earthshaking news since almost half of all 2012 passenger vehicles sold now come standard with backup cameras.

So should you run out and order a backup camera for your older model vehicle? In a word, yes. Why? It’s pretty simple actually.

Safety.

Safety and lower insurance costs are main reasons backup cameras have been installed in commercial vehicles for many years. Now, more Boomers are packing up and hitting the road in their homes on wheels, and more teens are driving now more than ever. A backup camera system can mean the difference between stress-less travel and vacationing in the local collision repair shop, or worse, getting one of those dreaded calls – “Mom, Dad, I think I hit something.”

Keep ‘em safe

Keeping children safe is a priority. Buses should all have backup camera systems as well as GPS. Bus and truck drivers are typically responsible and well trained, and remote front-mounted, as well as rear-mounted cameras cost less and are a smarter choice than risking a driver, student, pedestrian, or vehicle accident. It gives parents some peace of mind too.

Watch out for that ……!

Until recently backup cameras were a more common add-on feature on larger, weightier RVs and fleet vehicles. They were installed mainly to reduce critical accidents and mitigate general operator error, vehicle and property damage, and insurance costs. Backing-up accidents are the most common and repairs and claims are expensive even with good insurance coverage. Investing in a backup camera for every vehicle, large and small, pays off many times over.

Stress less

Rear-view backup cameras are for convenience too. A backup camera reduces a teen driver’s stress backing and parallel parking. It also reduces the pressure of maneuvering larger SUVs, trucks, or RVs around parking lots, gas stations, and tight spots. Backup systems are connected to vehicle monitor/DVD displays giving digital readouts or actual views of surrounding obstacles.

Blind Spots

Blind spots are a driver’s worst enemy. Every vehicle has them. Statistics show almost half of all back-over deaths are children under five. If that’s not unnerving enough, an average of 112 fatalities and 8,400 injuries happen each year because of rear blind spots. A backup camera helps backing into or out of a parking space without running over the curb, pedestrian, or the vehicle parked behind you!

Liability

All delivery and rental fleets need backup camera systems. Lower vehicle and health insurance premiums can usually be negotiated since the equipment reduces driver risk and damage costs. Rental companies can also market vehicle backup camera systems as safety features that appeal to drivers unsure about driving in unfamiliar areas.

Safety, people, property, liability, and cost are good enough reasons to install that backup camera on your RV or sedan. The sooner the better.

This is a guest post by Alex Mitchell. Alex works for TadiBrothers, an online electronics retailer established in 2003. TadiBrothers has a large selection of rear view cameras,underwater fishing camera systems and a variety of other electronics. TadiBrothers is committed to the safety of their patrons.

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Boys & Girls Clubs Of America

Karen · 4 Comments

Back what seems like a hundred years ago (but really only 30 or so) when my son was a little boy, he went to the Boys Club instead of going to daycare with my daughters. That arrangement worked out well for him. He was my oldest child, and as a single mother it was difficult to afford daycare for three kids.

1983 09 seth rebecca emily — My son and daughters in 1983, about the time he was going to the Boys Club

The Boys Club was one block away from my workplace, so I dropped him off there on my way to work. He walked the one block to my office at lunch time and we ate lunch together every day. My boss had him call her every day when he got back to the Boys Club so we all knew he was safely back.

There was no charge for Seth to go to the Boys Club. He had lots of friends there, and had a wonderful time there. They even took him camping for a week, where he had his first time out on a lake in a canoe, he caught fish, and learned how to use a bow and arrow.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BCGA) were such a positive influence on my son, that I now want to give back to them by telling you all about their new partnerships with Disney and JC Penney.

BCGA has partnered with Disney to launch the Tools for Back to School Initiative. This initiative features a pop-quiz type of game, where supplies are donated to BCGA for every correct answer you score. What an easy way to give to a wonderful organization for children!You can join in the fun and help BCGA get supplies for back to school by playing here

With the JC Penney partnership with BGCA, you can round up your purchase at the register through JCP Shares . The money collected through the rounded up purchases benefits BGCA. You can learn more about how this works here.

To help get your children ready for back to school, BGCA has several educational and tip sheets you can download for free, about topics such as Time Management and Helping Children Set Goals. You can find them by clicking here.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Boys and Girls Club. I received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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What? How To Tell When You Need A Hearing Aid

Karen · Leave a Comment

More than thirty years ago, my now deceased father was diagnosed with severe hearing loss, and was prescribed a hearing aid. Daddy went through the process of finding hearing aid clinics, and eventually was fitted with a fine set of hearing aids. He brought them home, then he promptly put them in a drawer.

It was a family joke to come into a room where Daddy was sitting, and move our mouths as if we were speaking to him. Every time we did this, Daddy would say “What?” and then the rest of us would start laughing. I know now that it was probably a mean thing to do, but after a couple of months of that, he started wearing his hearing aids.

A couple of years ago, Fabgrandpa’s Dad decided it was time to get hearing aids for himself. He is a retired military man, so he had to go to the VA Medical Center closest to him to get his hearing loss diagnosed. The clinic was about 150 miles from his home, and he had to make the trip three times to get everything done. Because of his advanced age, he couldn’t make the drive himself, so one of Fabgrandpa’s brothers drove him there and back. On the last trip home, after they picked up the hearing aids, they were involved in a head-on collision. Neither of them were hurt, but my brother-in-law’s car was totaled. And now that my father-in-law has those hearing aids? They sit in a drawer.

Now that I am getting older (I AM sixty, you know!) I find myself doing the “What?” thing more and more often. I also have a constant ringing in my ears, that tends to drive me crazy much of the time, especially when I am at home by myself. I have been doing some research about tinnitus, and I think that may be part of my problem. My husband, Fabgrandpa, is starting to get irritated with me for asking him to repeat just about everything he says. It might just be time for me to go and see an ear doctor, so I can get my hearing aid to throw in a drawer.

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Joe Walsh Analog Man

Karen · 10 Comments

As a teenager in the late 60’s and early 70’s, I loved listening to Joe Walsh: Rocky Mountain Way, with the James Gang on Funk # 49, and into the 80’s with All Night Long. He has a very distinctive sound that you will recognize when you hear it.

I was sent a review copy of Joe’s most recent release in May,Analog Man, and I was not disappointed. Analog Man still has that Joe Walsh sound that I love:

With 12 songs on the CD, including Lucky That Way and Funk 50, being able to listen to this album has truly been a treat. If you are a Joe Walsh fan, it is a must have in your collection.Buy it here!

I received a copy of this album for review, but the opinions expressed are my own.

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GMO’s: Do You Want To Know What Is In Your Food?

Karen · 5 Comments

Genetically Modified Organisms are becoming more and more common, but do you really want to eat them? I’m not sure I do, but how do you know if you are getting something natural, unadulterated, or if that corn or your potatoes have been modified genetically? The fact is, unless our food items are labeled, we will never know.

The California GMO Referendum is slated to be on the ballot this November 6, giving Californians the right to vote for whether or not their foods are labeled.

So, what are GMO’s? They are genetically altered vegetables and meats. These food items have had their DNA altered in a laboratory by genes from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria, in order to produce foreign compounds in that food. An example of this is genetically altered corn, that makes the corn be able to produce pesticides in its own tissue. If a bug eats the corn plant, its stomach literally explodes. How do we know that when we humans eat that corn, we won’t have serious side effects in our stomach or intestines?

Label GMO’s website says this:

There have been NO long-term studies conducted on the safety of genetically engireed foods on humans.

The issue of GM food safety was first discussed at a meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and biotech representatives in 1990. The “substantial equivalence” concept was proposed in early 1996. The adoption of the concept of substantial equivalence allowed permission to market and sell new foods without any safety or toxicology tests as long as they were not too different in chemical composition to foods already on the market. [FDA GRAS proposal] To decide if a modified product is substantially equivalent, the product is tested by the manufacturer for unexpected changes in a limited set of variables such as toxins, nutrients or allergens that are known to be present in the unmodified food. If these tests show no significant difference between the modified and unmodified products, then no further food safety testing is required.

The California Right To Know organization has more information on their website. Although I am not a citizen of California, I feel that this is an important referendum, Proposition 37, and could eventually affect every citizen of the United States. Please, encourage everyone you know who lives in California, to go to the polls on November 6, and vote YES for Proposition 37.

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